2020 Philippines Football League

The 2020 Philippines Football League, also known as The Philippines Football League brought to you by Qatar Airways,[1] due to the league's title sponsorship of Qatar Airways, will be the fourth season of the Philippines Football League (PFL), the professional football league of the Philippines.

Philippines Football League
Season2020
DatesAugust 15, 2020 – TBA
← 2019
2021 →

For the first time, the champion of the tournament will qualify for Group Stage of the 2021 AFC Champions League, which was expanded to 40 teams from previous 32.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league's commencement, originally scheduled for March 21, was postponed at two times. First, the league's opening match was moved to April 18,[2] and was later moved again to late-May.[3] The league will adopt a double home-and-away format for the 2020 seasons, with each club playing against each other four times for a total of 60 matches.[4]

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) is planning to start the league on July 15 with practice sessions for the league's member clubs planned to commence on June 15. The PFF has submitted a 27-page document outlying the protocols on how to organize the league amidst the pandemic to the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) on May 30 for approval prior to sending the same to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on June 1.[5][6]

The Copa Paulino Alcantara for the 2020 season is cancelled due to the time constraints caused by the postponement of the league. Due to this, the league second placers will qualify for the 2021 AFC Champions League playoffs.[5][7]

The IATF-EID announced on July 3, that it has allowed the clubs of the PFL to conduct training.[8][9] The PFF plans to start the season on August 15.[10] Staff and players of the member PFL clubs underwent RT-PCR testing for COVID-19 on July 8, 2020.[11] Start of actual training, originally planned to start on July 15, had to be postponed pending the release of a joint administration order by GAB, the Department of Health, and the Philippine Sports Commission.[12]

It is planned that the league will adopt a single round robin format, instead of a double round robin format, for the 2020 season. Several situational calendars have been prepared for the planning of the league's schedule.[13]

Teams
Carmona, Cavite
PFF National Training Centre
Capacity:1,200
Location of the PFF National Training Centre.

Six clubs, including the Azkals Development Team, are set to participate in the 2020 season.[14] Ceres-Negros renamed as United City and will compete under that name starting the 2020 season.[15] Green Archers United and Philippine Air Force decided not to participate for this season.[16] Maharlika F.C. has applied to join the league and possibly make a debut for in this season.[17][18] Appropriate licensing fees for applicant clubs were waived due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[10]

Most league matches were originally planned to be held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium instead of the club's designated home stadiums for the 2020 season.[19] However, due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, all matches are planned to be held outside Metro Manila at the PFF National Training Centre in Carmona, Cavite.[20] The clubs will also be requested to hold their training sessions at the venue.[21]

The Rizal Memorial Stadium and the Biñan Football Stadium where ruled out as possible primary venue for the 2020 season due to the venues being closed to COVID-19 quarantine/isolation facilities (at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum and the Alonte Sports Arena). Although the PFF is considering to allow Stallion to hold some of their games at Biñan as soon as the conditions become favorable.[5] Spectators will not be allowed inside the venue.[7]

Personnel and kits
Team Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt partner
Azkals Development Team Scott Cooper TBA TBA N/A
Global TBA Jerry Barbaso Montè Athletics TBA
Kaya–Iloilo Oliver Colina Jovin Bedic Adidas LBC
Fitness First
Mendiola Dan Padernal Ashley Flores FAT Penson and Company
Stallion Laguna Ernest Nierras Ruben Doctora Nassau Giligan's Restaurant
United City TBA Stephan Schröck TBA TBA

Coaching changes
Team Outgoing coach Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming coach Date of appointment
Kaya–Iloilo Noel Marcaida End of Contract 31 December 2019[22] Pre-season Oliver Colina February 2020[23]
Global Franklin Muescan Undisclosed Unknown Pre-season Gary Phillips February 2020[24]
United City Risto Vidaković Undisclosed mid-2020 Pre-season TBA TBA

Foreign players

A maximum of four foreigners are allowed per club which follows the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) '3+1 rule'; three players of any nationality and a fourth coming from an AFC member nation.

Players name in bold indicates the player was registered during the mid-season transfer window.

Club Players Former Players
Azkals Development Team
Global Victor Parra Jose Villarreal Ryo Fujii Suleman Naeem John Cofie
Alan Martin
Kaya–Iloilo Carlyle Mitchell Daizo Horikoshi Masanari Omura Takumi Uesato
Mendiola Souleyman Ndepe Stephen Appiah Hamed Hajimehdi Milad Behgandom
Stallion Laguna Ricardo Sendra Ibrahima Ndour Abou Sy Kim Dongyeon
United City Takashi Odawara Bienvenido Marañón Robert Lopez Mendy Súper[25]

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Azkals Development Team 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for AFC Champions League Group Stage
2 Global 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for AFC Champions League Playoff
3 Kaya–Iloilo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for AFC Cup Group Stage[Note AFC]
4 Mendiola 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Stallion Laguna 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 United City 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played on TBA 2020. Source: PNA
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
Notes
  • ^
    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, the 2020 Copa Paulino Alcantara was cancelled and not organized by the Philippine Football Federation. As a result, the 2020 Philippines Football League runners-up will qualify for the 2021 AFC Cup as Philippines 2, and the 3rd place will qualify for the 2021 AFC Cup as Philippines 3 (standby team).[26]

    • References
    1. "Philippines Football League Embarks On Path To Return Of Competition". Philippine Football Federation. July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
    2. "PFF AND PFL STATEMENT – POSTPONEMENT OF PHILIPPINES FOOTBALL LEAGUE SEASON 2020". Philippines Football League. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
    3. Saldajeno, Ivan Stewart (3 April 2020). "PH Football League resets season anew to May". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
    4. Murillo, Michael Angelo (6 April 2020). "PFL remains upbeat despite new season start pushed back twice". BusinessWorld. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
    5. Saldajeno, Ivan Stewart (28 May 2020). "PFF to submit protocols to GAB for possible PFL return". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
    6. Morales, Luisa (3 June 2020). "Philippine football eyes return to pitch". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
    7. Cabanlong, Xy-Zha (27 May 2020). "PFF prexy Nonong Araneta hopeful on football's return in PH". Dugout Philippines. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
    8. "PFF Advisory: IATF Approves Training For PFL Teams". Philippine Football Federation. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
    9. "PBA, PFF plan next steps after IATF gives go-signal to restart". ESPN5. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
    10. Saldajeno, Ivan Stewart (7 July 2020). "PFL eyes August start to new season". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
    11. "PFF Conducts RT-PCR Testing For PFF Staff And PFL Clubs". Philippine Football Federation. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
    12. Saldajeno, Ivan (July 22, 2020). "PBA, PFL still waiting for admin order for practice return". Dugout Philippines. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
    13. Terrado, Jonas (July 9, 2020). "PFL to roll with single-round format". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
    14. Henson, Joaquin (20 December 2019). "Football kicks forward". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
    15. del Rosario, Paolo (July 23, 2020). "Ownership transfer official: Ceres Negros to rebrand to United City FC". ESPN5. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
    16. Saldajeno, Ivan Stewart (9 January 2020). "Green Archers United begs off from PFL 2020". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
    17. "Maharlika FC signifies intent to join the PFL". BusinessWorld. August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
    18. Saldajeno, Ivan (August 6, 2020). "Anton Del Rosario bares Maharlika Manila seeking PFL license". Dugout Philippines. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
    19. Saldajeno, Ivan (29 February 2020). "Mendiola in talks with Imus city government for hosting PFL matches". Dugout Philippines. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
    20. Tupas (8 May 2020). "PFF eyes K-League as blueprint for PFL season start". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
    21. Tupas, Cedelf (19 May 2020). "Taking its cue from the Bundesliga, PFL to apply own safety measures". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
    22. Co, Adrian Stewart (11 January 2020). "Kaya bids farewell to Marcaida". Panay News. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
    23. "Cebuano Colina is coach of Kaya FC". Cebu Daily News. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
    24. "Gary Philipps: New Head Coach". Instagram. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
    25. "End of an Era: Ceres-Negros set for name, ownership change". Tiebreaker Times. July 8, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
    26. Saldajeno, Ivan Stewart (28 May 2020). "PFF to submit protocols to GAB for possible PFL return". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
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